JP2010500214A - Respirator storage box worn by aircraft crew - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a storage box (13) in which is received a protective mask (4) adapted to be applied on the face of an aircraft crewmember, said storage box further comprising signaling means (19) activable upon occurrence in the aircraft of a triggering event to help said aircraft crewmember distinguish said storage box from its environment.

Description

  The present invention relates in particular to equipment for crew members in aircraft, equipment such as protective masks and breathing masks, and storage boxes for such masks.

  In order to ensure the safety of passengers and crew in the event of a decompression accident or smoke in the aircraft, the Aviation Regulations establish a safety oxygen supply circuit that can supply each passenger and crew with an oxygen flow rate according to the cabin altitude. It must be installed in all airliners. Such oxygen is delivered to the crew or passenger, also known as the end user, through a respiratory mask or protective mask.

  In the event of a decompression accident or smoke in the aircraft, the crew must wear their protective mask on their face as quickly as possible. Indeed, high altitude oxygen deficiency (hypoxia) or toxic gases may alter the ability of crew members to continue emergency measures that will ensure passenger and aircraft safety.

  The protective mask is generally housed in a box called a storage box that is placed next to the crew's location. Aviation Regulations (FAR) requires that the mask be placed in place and supply oxygen to its wearer in less than 5 seconds, so the crew will react quickly and put the protective mask in its storage box It is most important to proceed with emergency measures safely.

  Both flight simulations and actual accidents indicate that crew members may not be able to think of wearing their own protective masks immediately after the accident is discovered.

  In addition, when navigating at night, the lights in the cockpit are usually extinguished so that at least one other crew member can rest while operating the aircraft. If a protective mask is required in the event of an emergency or for some other reason, the awakened crew will not be able to easily identify the storage box in the darkness of the cockpit. You may find it difficult to find.

  Currently, there is a need for a storage box that contains a protective mask that can be easily seen and identified by the crew among the various devices in the cockpit. There is also a need for a storage box that can attract the crew's attention in an emergency.

  Therefore, it is desirable to develop a storage box that is easy to see and / or finds a location. In addition, it is desirable to develop a storage box that allows crew members to find their location immediately in an emergency.

  To achieve this object, a storage box as claimed in claim 1 is provided.

  The storage box can be easily found in the environment surrounding the crew and the storage box itself, by means of signaling that can be activated when a trigger event occurs in the aircraft. Furthermore, since a trigger event is required to activate the signal transmission means, during normal navigation, the crew is not distracted by the signal transmission means.

  The foregoing and other features will be better understood after reading the following description of specific embodiments given as non-limiting examples. The following description refers to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a schematic view of a respiratory mask storage box according to a first implementation of the present invention. Fig. 4 is a schematic view of a storage box with a respiratory mask housed inside and its signal transmission means placed on the outside of the box.

  FIG. 1 shows a first implementation of a storage box according to the invention. A storage box 13 in which a respirator (not shown) is stored is adapted to distinguish said storage box 13 from its environment. A signal transmission means 19 is provided. As mentioned above, it is essential for the crew to quickly identify the storage box from the various equipment that surrounds it. It is also important to remind the crew that wearing a mask is indispensable because the crew may proceed with a series of emergency actions without thinking about wearing a breathing device because of an emergency. Oxygen deficiency at high altitudes (in the case of cabin pressure loss) or the presence of smoke may cause a sudden change in the ability of the unmasked crew.

  In order to find the location of the storage box 13 or to draw the crew's attention to the storage box, the signal transmission means may be light, an alarm sound produced by an audio warning device, or a vibration device, or a breathing mask Any suitable device that allows the crew to think of removing the box from the box and wearing it.

  Such signaling means do not always have to be in operation, as it will distract the crew's attention from work. In the storage box according to the present invention, the signal transmission means 19 is activated when a trigger event occurs in the aircraft. The trigger event may be a sudden drop in cabin pressure, the occurrence of smoke in the cabin and / or cockpit, or simply as described above in the cockpit during night flight. It may be turned off.

  Sensors are provided to measure various parameters (parameters indicating emergencies or parameters indicating situations where it is important to have quick access to the protective mask (eg night flight)) for trigger event detection It may be done. The sensors can be provided in the storage box or near the storage box, or can be made available elsewhere in the aircraft, and their signals are available on the aircraft bus system.

  In order to activate the signaling means, an electronic circuit 20 or CPU is provided in the storage box or elsewhere in the aircraft, which reads information relating to the trigger event and, when appropriate, the signaling Activate the means. To that effect, the electronic device 20 is adapted to read signals from various sensors and is adapted to detect the occurrence of these signals that may correspond to trigger events.

Examples of the sensor 50 shown in FIG. 1 disposed near or in the storage box 13 (but not limited to)
Pressure sensor to detect a sudden drop in cabin pressure,
A smoke detector to detect the occurrence of smoke or fumes in the cockpit, or
An optical sensor for detecting significant changes in the light in the cockpit, such as when the lights are turned off by the crew for night flight, or when the cockpit lights are not turned on at sunset.

  In general, other similar sensors (51-53 in FIG. 1) are provided in the aircraft, and their signals are available from the aircraft bus. Additional devices that detect events related to emergencies can also be utilized in the aircraft. Such a device (55 in FIG. 1) is connected to the aircraft bus system and transmits a trigger signal representing the event. The electronic circuit 20 is also adapted to activate the signaling means 19 upon reading such trigger signal available from the aircraft bus system.

  Regarding night flight situations, an optical sensor similar to the optical sensor described above may be provided in the cockpit. Further, extinction in the cockpit may be a trigger event. For example, a signal to the electronic circuit 20 via the bus system (a signal that the cockpit light has been extinguished) is used to operate the signal transmission means. May be. Light as a signaling device may be more suitable in this case. However, alarm sounds and / or vibrations may be used to attract crew attention.

  FIG. 2 is an exemplary view of a first implementation of a storage box according to the present invention. The protective device 4 is stored in the storage box 13. This box is provided with two doors 11 and 12, respectively. Each door includes a notch 14 that matches the notch of the other door. These notches allow the gripping surface 15 of the protective device to protrude out of the storage box 13. The doors 11 and 12 constitute an access surface of the storage box 13. Other access surfaces for storage boxes with two or more doors, with or without notches, are also known. The signal transmission means 19 is provided on one of the doors, here the door 11 on the access surface, but if it can attract the crew's attention, it should be provided elsewhere on the storage box. You can also.

  In FIG. 2, the signal transmission means 19 is connected to an electronic circuit 20 provided next to the storage box 13.

Claims (11)

A storage box (13) in which a protective mask (4) adapted to be applied to the face of an aircraft crew is received,
A storage box further comprising signaling means (19) operable upon occurrence of a trigger event in the aircraft to help the aircraft crew distinguish the storage box from its surroundings.   The storage box according to claim 1, wherein the signal transmission means are actuated when an accident occurs in the aircraft. The storage box is disposed in the cockpit of the aircraft;
The storage box according to claim 1, wherein the signal transmission means is activated when the light of the cockpit is significantly reduced.   4. An electronic device (20) is provided for detecting a trigger event and / or receiving a signal corresponding to the trigger event and activating the signal generating means when the trigger event occurs. The storage box according to claim 1. A pressure sensor is provided in the cabin of the aircraft to measure a sudden drop in cabin pressure;
The storage box according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the rapid drop in the cabin pressure is a trigger event. An optical sensor is provided in the cockpit of the aircraft for measuring a significant change in the light of the cockpit,
The storage box according to claim 1, wherein the significant change in the light of the cockpit becomes a trigger event. A light that brightens the cockpit is provided in the cockpit of the aircraft,
The storage box according to claim 1, wherein turning off the light in the cockpit of the aircraft is a trigger event. A smoke detector is provided in the cabin or cockpit of the aircraft for detecting the occurrence of smoke in the aircraft;
The storage box according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein detection of smoke becomes a trigger event.   The storage box according to claim 1, wherein the signal transmission means is light.   The storage box according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the signal transmission means is an audio warning device that generates an alarm sound.   The storage box according to claim 1, wherein the signal transmission means is a vibration device.

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